Friday, August 15, 2008

Preznit McCain: Look Who’s Presumptuous Now

While Obama has been working to dispel
the McCain-inspired notion that he is somehow "presumptuous", McCain
himself, by thrusting himself into the Georgia mess, has been busy
making sure everyone sees him as "President McCain".

The extent of McCain’s involvement in
the military conflict in Georgia appears remarkable among presidential
candidates, who traditionally have kept some distance from unfolding
crises out of deference to whoever is occupying the White House. The
episode also follows months of sustained GOP criticism of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama,
who was accused of acting too presidential for, among other things,
briefly adopting a campaign seal and taking a trip abroad that included a
huge rally in Berlin.

"We talk about how there’s only one president at a time, so the idea
that you would send your own emissaries and really interfere with the
process is remarkable," said Lawrence Korb, a Reagan Defense Department
official who now acts as an informal adviser to the Obama campaign.
"It’s very risky and can send mixed messages to foreign governments. . .
. They accused Obama of being presumptuous, but he didn’t do anything
close to this."

And apparently, that November thing is just a formality:

Asked about his tough rhetoric on the ongoing conflict in Georgia,
McCain began: "If I may be so bold, there was another president . . ."

He caught himself and started again: "At one time, there was a president named Ronald Reagan who spoke very strongly about America’s advocacy for democracy and freedom."

Sara Robinson has worked as an editor or columnist for several national magazines, on beats as varied as sports, travel, and the Olympics; and has contributed to over 80 computer games for EA, Lucasfilm, Disney, and many other companies. A native of California's High Sierra, she spent 20 years in Silicon Valley before moving to Vancouver, BC in 2004. She currently is pursuing an MS in Futures Studies at the University of Houston. You can reach her at srobinson@enginesofmischief.com.